estcrh

According to discussions here and else were that I have read, this sword is non traditional in some way, it may be hand forged and water quenched but it was stamped in order to signify that some element of the sword made it non traditional...possibly the type of steel used?

My problem is with no return without any exceptions, many dealers say no returns unless the item is significantly different than described etc. I can deal with that but no returns period even if the item is defective or fake or the dealer makes a MISTAKE? That is not ethical in my way of thinking. If an item is photographed properly and accurately described and you just do not like it that I can understand not accepting a return.

This is all you need to know about the dealer

I think knowing the price paid would help people decide of its worth restoring.

This is a good warning for anyone who wants to rescue a sword....under the definition of hagire in the dictionary this sword should be pictured. What would the best method have been in order to have avoided this from happening..a window polish?

Thanks everyone for the info, if someone comes across a picture or any other facts (real or rumored) send them this way....

I was hoping someone here would have some information on Samurai head buckets or kubi oke. I found this one and have no idea if it is real (which I doubt) or an exact copy or just something put together...I have found very little info online thats helpful just this picture of one destroyed in ww2 from> http://english.tsukudo.jp/treasure-backet.html and this article from 1921 http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 27,1712834

I will have to see if its available in a reprint..it looks interesting.

Well Piers, if its expensive it must be valuable....much like the so called "cannon" gun barrel museum piece I posted a picture of. These strange items keep popping up and its hard to tell the real ones from the fake ones and unfortunately some of them are real..you just cant tell which ones with out a lot of experience.

nice..well better a real one in bad shape then a fake one in good shape.

This is who is selling it, I was just wondering what it was exactly. It looks a little like the "saki" gun that was posted recently. http://www14.plala.or.jp/kottoh-mononofu/sonota.htm

whatdo you think about this?

Oh its interesting....thats an understatement.....I could use a nice Zen garden to meditate in from time to time...maybe a vacation trade?

Never would have guessed that was a bell. I would gladly trade the unpleasant noises of your neighborhood for mine ( The French Quarter of New Orleans)

Great pictures and a great quote..that was an amazing time...

I was discussing with someone about the possibility of the Japanese having used a production line sort of method for manufacture on at least some types of armor and maybe even weapons rather than each piece being individually custom made...there is not a lot of info available on the armor and weapon workshops but it sure looks like this was done on some level by some people.

Glossary of Japanese sword terms..most helpful http://members.shaw.ca/nihontonut/glossary.html

Lee, great stuff...those items are hidden away in someones collection now probably.

Ian. are you suggesting that there was some sort of dou factory churning out close copies of the same style of dou? or something more sinister.

Eric, who would have guessed what? Barrels come up all the time in Japan. Do you mean the (high/low) price, or the rarity? That they were so valuable!!

I was just discussing the lack of value a Japanese gun barrel with no stock has when I ran across this item..who would have guessed? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 6552wt_932

Here is a good glossary of Japanese sword terms. http://members.shaw.ca/nihontonut/glossary.html

Here is another one of those whips or riding crops.... I used to think this dealer was fairly competent. Is there ANYONE here who thinks this has a chance of being REAL???? Shouldnt this dealer be able to tell that there is a problem with this?? If he lets this be sold without at least mentioning that it MIGHT be a replica of fake can any other item they have be trusted completely??? At least 3 of these were sold at the same time on yahoo Japan and even though they were completely different in looks alarm bells should have gone off for any experienced dealer or collector based on the fact that 3 items such as this with no wear and not so great workmanship popping up at the same exact time is next to impossible unless someone was selling a collection. I have never seen any Japanese whip or riding crop in any picture or for sale that looks like these, I could be wrong and there may be real antique examples but I still think that any experienced person who buys and resells ANY item that has this look be it a jutte or whip has to have an idea that there may be a problem, I'm just saying.........http://cgi.ebay.com/2700-J-P-Samurai-An ... 2120wt_932 Here is the jutte they have for sale>>> http://cgi.ebay.com/2772-J-P-Samurai-An ... 1997wt_932

Ian, theres some truth in what you are saying...now the rest of us who really do care just have to be able to tell the difference....

Another fake or replica...there are real items that look like this>> http://daimyoubugu2.web.infoseek.co.jp/ ... G_7865.JPG